Mayo ranks NHSI Top 20 prospects

CARY, N.C. -- While rain swept away all but the championship game in the final day of the National High School Invitational, there's no question the 100 or so scouts who attended the inaugural event at USA Baseball's National Training Complex took away a great deal of information about players for the 2012 Draft and beyond.

The players on MLB.com's Top 50 Draft Prospects list who were in attendance -- five in total -- had mixed performances, though that didn't necessarily hurt their stock. After talking to scouts and coaches at the event, here is a Top 20 list, combining performance here with future potential.

1. Max Fried, LHP, Harvard-Westlake (Calif.): The top prep lefty in the Draft class, Fried came into the tournament ranked No. 9 on the Top 50 and certainly didn't hurt his status. While he scuffled a bit early and gave up three runs in his start, scouts were impressed with how he responded to a little adversity. He was up to 94 mph and regained the feel for his breaking ball as his start wore on.

2. Courtney Hawkins, OF/RHP, Carroll (Texas): In Carroll's one victory, Hawkins (No. 26) particularly showed what all the fuss is about. On the mound, he was up to 93 mph with a good breaking ball, as he struck out nine in 5 1/3 scoreless innings. He also provided the lone run for Carroll with a long home run to left-center. Most see him as an outfielder, but one scout thought he could excel either way if given the opportunity.

3. Jeremy Martinez, C, Mater Dei (Calif.): Only a junior, Martinez won't be in the Draft until 2013, but he'd be a first-rounder if he were eligible now. He has a great approach at the plate and shows very good all-around skills behind it. He may have been the most consistent hitter in this tournament, going 7-for-13 to help Mater Dei win the NHSI title.

4. Lucas Sims, RHP, Brookwood (Ga.): While some might have concerns about his size, others felt his overall athleticism offset it, and no one could deny being impressed with his arm strength and feel for pitching. The No. 23 prospect was up to 93 mph, sat comfortably at 91 mph and commanded his breaking ball very well, allowing one hit and striking out 11 over six innings.

5. Ty Moore, OF/RHP, Mater Dei: He went 5-for-12 with a home run and scored the winning run for Mater Dei in the title game. He also made two appearances on the mound, both four-inning stints, finishing with two wins and eight shutout innings. It leads some to wonder where his future may lie. Scouts say there's work to be done on his swing mechanics -- he has an unorthodox bat loop in his set-up -- but as one scout said, there's something to be said for a player who can hit.

6. Joey Gallo, 3B/RHP, Bishop Gorman (Nev.): Of all the top prospects (No. 19) on hand, Gallo may have had the most disappointing performance from a results perspective. He went 1-for-8 at the plate, perhaps pressing too much at times. While he wants to hit, and it seems most teams like his power potential at third base, the fact he was hitting the mid-90s from the mound (albeit up in the zone) was intriguing, at the very least.

7. Adrian Marin, SS, Gulliver Prep (Fla.): Marin's best tool is his speed, which is a plus and made an impression on scouts here. They also liked his compact swing. He's added strength over time and has some gap power right now. He handles shortstop OK for now, but might profile best as an offensive-minded second baseman. His 4-for-9 performance in this tournament didn't hurt his stock.

8. Matt Olson, 1B, Parkview (Ga.): Olson went 5-for-10 in the tournament, including a home run against Fried. He also won a game on the mound with six innings of one-run ball. Scouts gave him plaudits for improving his conditioning and making good adjustments at the plate since the summer.

9. Anferneee Grier, SS, Russell County (Ala.): The junior is still relatively new to shortstop, but he showed some good instincts and a strong arm. More than anything, he's showing a very intriguing bat with some pop. He went 4-for-11 in the tournament and had one scout thinking he could be a Brandon Phillips type down the line.

10. Ryan McMahon, 3B, Mater Dei: Scouts raved about McMahon's approach at the plate, but he didn't have much to show for it in terms of results. Then he hit a big home run in the championship game. A quarterback in the fall, he's very athletic and people liked what they saw from him at third base as well.

11. Jack Flaherty, RHP, Harvard-Westlake: Flaherty is a two-way player who has abilities on both sides of the ball. But how he pitched -- a complete game on Wednesday with no walks and just one run -- combined with his very projectable frame, have scouts excited to see how the sophomore develops on the mound over the next two years.

12. Arden Pabst, C, Harvard-Westlake: The junior backstop does a great job working with a high-octane pitching staff. He can swing the bat as well, coming up with some big hits in this tournament, including two extra-base hits.

13. Zach Collins, C, American Heritage (Fla.): Yet another catcher to pay attention to for the 2013 Draft, Collins impressed with his approach at the plate as well as how well he moved his strong, physical frame behind it.

14. Shaun Anderson, RHP, American Heritage: Anderson got the toughest-luck loss of the tournament, pitching into the ninth, maintaining his velocity and showing a good breaking ball throughout an extra-inning game. The junior should be one to watch in 2013.

15. Ivan Pelaez, LHP, Gulliver Prep: Another tough-luck loss here, with Peleaz giving up just one run -- Hawkins' homer -- in a 1-0 loss. The lefty was very effective, striking out seven over six and worst-case will be a fine addition to the University of Miami staff.

16. Davis Tominaga, RHP, Mater Dei: Tominaga may have done as much as anyone to put himself on the map. The junior tossed a complete game on Wednesday, neutralizing Gallo, then came back on Saturday to pitch an inning of relief (where he touched 90 mph). He also hit a big home run and went 6-for-14 over four games.

17. Brandon Lopez, SS, American Heritage: Former big leaguer Bruce Aven, Lopez's coach, calls his junior shortstop "a stud." Scouts loved Lopez's defensive actions, from his range to his arm at short, but feel the bat is behind the glove. Aven said Lopez is the type of player who grows on you and he has another year to develop with the bat.

18. Matt Goodson, OF, Oxford (Ala.): The University of Alabama commit earned comparisons to Aaron Rowand, an outfielder who plays good defense, runs well and can show a little pop, though he didn't hit much in Oxford's three games.

19. Josh Hart, OF, Parkview: Olson may get more of the attention right now, but scouts like what they see in the junior center fielder. Hart has some tools across the board and next year will be the main attraction.

20. Ryan Burr, RHP, Highlands Ranch (Colo.): He didn't pitch well here, but the arm strength is still there, as he was up to 92 mph. His delivery and arm action are a bit of a mess, so a team interested in him will have to rework his mechanics, but it's hard to teach velocity.